Knitted fabric and method of knitting the same



July 2, 1935. K. R. LIEBERKNECHT I KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF KNITTING THE SAME Filed Nov. 29, 1932 INVENTOIR KARL mumzo LIEBERKNECHT m5- ATTORN S eliminating a time cons Patented July 2, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT orFic-E KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF KNITTING THE SAME Application November 29, 1932, Serial No. 644,785

In Germany October 12, 1932 8 Claims. (Cl. 66-173) My invention relates to knitted fabrics and a method of knitting by which an edge or edges, which are to be joined together, may be joined by seaming or simple sewing instead of looping, thus 'ng, delicate and uncertain operation and. omplishing this without introducing the danger that runs in the fabric will develop because the loops of the edge courses are not looped together.

I accomplish my object by knitting a suflicient number of run resisting courses on the edges of the fabric which are to be joined together so that the tendency to run, even before they are joined, is substantially eliminated and completely so upon joining even by simple stitching instead of the ordinary looping. Since the edge is resistant to runs it is immaterial that the seaming stitches fail to coincide with the loops. Edges of this character may be knit as described in my copending application Serial No. 644,784, flled Nov. 29, 1932, or in the application of Alfred Friedmann,

' Serial No. 617,321, filed-June 15, 1932. or in any other suitable run resisting manner. I

My invention is particularly useful in connection with sheer silk hosiery in which the tendency to run is particularly troublesome and difficult to avoid. Consequently, I have selected, for purposes of explanation and illustration, the welt portion of a silk stocking which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the welt section of a stocking blank showing the construction of the welt of my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar illustration of another form of welt embodying my invention.

It is to be understood, of course, that my invention is not limited to hosiery fabric but is ap-,

plicable to other knitted fabrics as well.

Ordinarily the knitting of hosiery begins'with the welt which is knit in one piece, then folded over and the edges joined by the first course of the leg. This necessitates replacing the initialcourse of loops of the welt on the needles, a task requiring care, time and accuracy. In my invention this may be avoided in knitting a one-piece welt by starting the knitting with several courses I, of run resisting-character, as already described, after which the knitting may be switched to or.- dinary fabric 2, if. desired. Afterthe welt is completed the knitting is continued without interruption to form the leg 3, etc- When the leg is completed, or at any subsequent time, the welt may be folded over and the edges stitched or seamedto thestocking fabric. Since the edge is inherently run resisting no runs will result from this method of closing the welt. Another method of forming the welt,-'which I prefer, is described in my German Patent No. 553,737 issued January 30, 1932. By the method '5 therein described the welt is made in two separate pieces ofthe same or different lengths, the first piece knit being left hanging on the needles during the knitting of the second piece, and then being brought up into knitting position again be- 10 neath the second piece so that both may be joined by the first course of the leg. There remains,

however, the looping together of theremaining plain fabric if desired; When the time comes to close the welt it may be done by simply seaming along the run resisting edge bands by means of a 20 sewing machine. Since each edge is inherently run resisting, a feature which will be greatly enhanced by the seaming, no trouble from runs'is possible. If the outer welt piece is made longer than the inner this scam will be on the inside of 25 the finished welt and, consequently, concealed.

As an adjunct to a welt formed as above described, there may be incorporated, if desired, a similar band 6 of run resisting fabric at the bottom of the welt. This is particularly desirable in :30 the one-piece welt construction of Fig. 2 since the stitching of the edge of the welt to ordinary fabric would be liable to break one, or threads thereof from which runs would result. By the employment ofrun resisting fabric at this point the welt edge may be stitched directly thereto and the danger of runs in either direction will be eliminated. Furthermore, sucha run resisting band at thetop of the leg because of itspeculiar loop formation, which imparts an attractive fine 40 lace-like'appearance to the fabric, is not only a valuable protective feature but is also highly decorative, particularly if knit of yarns of diil'erent colors, textures or materials in different courses. With the two-piece welt of Fig. 1 the same .run '45 resisting band 6 may be employed at the lower edge of the welt, as shown, and will provide, as in the other case, a run resisting and decorative feature at the point where many runs begin.

I claim: I 50 1. The method of knitting: and joining together two or more pieces of fabric which consists in knitting the body portions of said pieces of fabric with a single thread and in a plain interlooped tincture and knitting the terminal by seaming the same-together.

' a single thread and in a the commencing edge of the 2. The method of knitting a fabric and joining one of its terminal sections with the body portion thereof, which consists in knitting the body portion of the fabric with a single thread and in a plain interlooped structure and during the knit-.

ting thereof providing a formed of a plurality of same thread in a run resisting looped structure and also providing an edge'section knitted with a plurality of courses of the same run resisting type, and then joining said edge section to the body portion by seaming the same to the run resisting section therein.

3. A knitted fabric having a. body portion formed of a plain interlooped structure knitted with a single thread and having a plurality of courses in said body portion knitted with a run resisting. loop structure, and having an end section knitted with a plurality .of courses of the same type of run resisting loops, said end section being integrally joined to the run resisting courses in the body portion by seaming.

4. 'A stocking having a welt portion formed of a plain knitted fabric and having at its commencing edge a plurality of courses knitted with knitted section thereinto resist runs, and also body portion formed of a plurality of knitted courses of the same run resisting looped structure, said run resisting courses of the commencing edge of the welt being integrally joined to the run resisting section by seaming.

- 5. A stocking of plain kitted fabric provided with a top welt having an inner and outer wall, inner wall being courses knitted of the' looped structure adapted. having a section in its formed of a plurality of knitted courses of fabric of a run resisting character and the lower end of the outer wall being formed with a plurality of knitted courses of fabric of the same run resisting characterfsaid commencing edge of the inner wall being integrally joined to the run resisting fabric in the outer wallby seaming.

6. A- stocking-having atop welt formed with an inner and outer wall, the commencing portion of the inner wall being formed of a plurality of courses of knitted fabric knitted of a single thread and in'a looped structure that is adapted to resist runs, and said outer wall being provided with a section knitted of a fabric of the same run resisting character, said commencing portion of the inner wall being joined to the run resisting section in the outer wall of the welt by a seam.

'7. A knitted stocking having a top welt formed with an inner and outer wall, the commencing courses of knitting of the inner wall being formed of a run resisting looped structure and the lower end portion of the outer-wall and entirely about the same at the point where it joins the fabric of the leg portion of the stocking being provided. with a band consisting of a plurality of knitted courses of a single thread run resisting fabric, said commencing courses of the inner wall of the welt being integrally joined to the said band in the outer wall by seaming.

8. A knitted stocking having a topwelt formed with an inner and outer wall, the commencingv portion of the inner wall being formed with a band consisting of a series of courses of :a nonreinforced interlooped run resisting fabric and said outer wall at the bottom of the welt being provided with a similar band knitted with a similar type of fabric, said inner wall band being integrally joined to the outer wall band by seaming.

KARL RICHARD LIEBERKNECHT. 40; 

